Reginald VelJohnson

Reginald VelJohnson (born August 16, 1952, in Queens, New York) is an American screen and stage actor whose warm presence and grounded performances have made him a familiar face across film and television. He is widely recognized for playing family man and police officer Carl Winslow on the long-running sitcom Family Matters, notably appearing in every episode of the series.

VelJohnson also left a lasting mark on action cinema as LAPD Sgt. Al Powell in Die Hard, a role he reprised in Die Hard 2. His portrayal of Powell—steady, compassionate, and quietly heroic—helped balance the franchise’s intensity with human empathy, cementing the character as a fan favorite.

Beyond those signature roles, VelJohnson’s filmography spans crowd-pleasing classics and genre titles alike, including Ghostbusters, Turner & Hooch, and Crocodile Dundee. In later projects such as Marriage Retreat, Air Collision, and Jelly, he continued to bring credibility and heart to supporting roles, underscoring a career defined by reliability and range.